


Vacation

by RobinG



Series: Vacation [1]
Category: The Sentinel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-17
Updated: 2015-06-17
Packaged: 2018-04-04 21:48:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4154178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RobinG/pseuds/RobinG
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's all Blair's fault this time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Vacation

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: The Sentinel and its characters are property of Pet Fly Productions.
> 
> Thanks go to my best friend Denise who while shopping in Sam's Club managed to help with the story. For her encouragement and friendship, I will be forever grateful. To Paula, for her writer's thoughts and comments, that are always welcomed and treasured. Although sometimes blatantly ignored. Without her assistance, I would have never attempted another story. And to my friend Dr. Shelly for her medical advise.

VACATION

By Robin from Florida

FRIDAY NIGHT

It was pitch black outside and Andy was hopelessly lost. A few hours ago she had taken a wrong turn, and now after several more turns, was driving down a road that didn’t look well traveled. “First, you have to delay your vacation for **two** days and now you don’t know where the hell you are! Great!” Her reproach was interrupted when the vehicle started to rock sharply back and forth. Dishes in the overhead compartments shifted from their secured places. The sound of glass breaking confirmed that the road had gotten too rough for her RV. “Damn. I think you’ve gone as far as you can on **this** road.” She slowed the motor home and started a lumbering three-point turn when her headlights fell upon dark skid marks that veered directly into a twisted guardrail.

Instinctively Andy checked her cell phone. ‘Out of range’ blinked merrily at her, like it had for the last two hours. “This just keeps getting better and better.” Stopping the RV, she set the emergency brake, grabbed her flashlight and coat, and jumped down from the cab. She shined the light down the steep embankment and found a vehicle at the bottom. “Please don’t let anyone be in there. Please. Please,” she silently prayed as she carefully made her way down to the vehicle.  

Her prayers were not answered, she discovered, when her flashlight shone in the driver’s side window of an old blue pickup truck. She carefully reached in through the broken driver’s side window and touched the cold skin, pulling away at the clammy feel. Taking a deep breath she reached in again to check for a pulse. She smiled slightly when she felt a steady beat under her fingertips. A quick scan, with the flashlight, around the interior of the cab, revealed that he was alone with only a duffel bag for company.

She carefully opened the door while holding his body in place. As the door swung open, she got her first full view of the man behind the wheel and knew she was in trouble. “Geez you’re a big guy.” She carefully leaned him back and reached around him to unbuckle his seatbelt. Andy made a quick inventory of the man’s injuries.

The unconscious man had cuts on the left side of his face from the broken window and a deep cut on his forehead. His left pant leg was torn and bloody but the bleeding had stopped. “Thank God it’s cold out here.” Maybe too cold. How long have you been out here? She wondered.

She scrambled back up the hill and got the comforter-bedspread off her bed and went into one of the outside compartments to retrieve a rope. “Hope this works.”

With all the strength the slender woman had, she managed to get the man out of the truck and onto the comforter. She wrapped the comforter around him, then tied the rope securely around his upper body. As an after thought, she reached back into the cab and grabbed his duffel bag. Somebody will only steal it, she thought. Tying the duffel bag to the end of the rope, she started up the hill letting the rope out behind her. “Please let this work,” she prayed. Andy threaded the rope around one of the legs of the twisted guardrail then headed to the bumper of her RV. Quickly tying the rope to the bumper, she climbed into the driver’s seat. Putting the RV in reverse, she pressed the accelerator ever so lightly. The RV inched its way up the road until she saw the edge of the comforter. She stopped the truck, set the brake and hopped down. After checking to make sure he wouldn’t slide back down, she unhooked the rope and got back in the RV, maneuvering the truck’s side door within a few feet of the man.

With the help of the rope, comforter and all the strength she had left she managed to get him in the RV. Andy had no strength left to try to get him on the bed so she made him as comfortable as she could on the floor. Probably wouldn’t fit on the bed anyway, she smiled looking down at the large bundle taking up most of the floor of the RV.

Stepping over him, Andy went to the back of the motor home to the bathroom area and grabbed the first aid kit and a couple of extra blankets. She then began to work on cleaning the cuts on his face. She opened his shirt to check for other injuries and found his right side was a mass of bruises from the seatbelt. Seeing that his injuries were more extensive than she initially thought, she carefully wrapped him back up and got into the driver’s seat and started down the hill.

***

A loud moan came from the back of the RV. Then the rustle of the comforter being shifted. “Oh. My head.” The injured man moaned trying to sit up.

“Please. Stay still. I’m taking you to a hospital,” Andy called from the driver’s seat. She was fiddling with her rear view mirror so she could see him better and missed the blue sign with the white “H” pointing to the next exit. He continued to struggle so she pulled over.

“I can’t see.” He tried again to rise, but only managed to turn slightly.

“You’re going to hurt yourself if you keep moving around like that,” she cautioned, crawling over the hump between the two front seats.  She could see that his hand was shakily holding his head and his eyes were tightly shut.  “Please lay back.  You’re safe.  You’re going to be okay,” she soothed, pressing him back to the floor.  When her hand touched him he grabbed for it and held it tightly.  Although it startled her she didn’t try to pull away.  “Just relax.  Breathe slowly.”  The woman started to stroke his forehead mindful of the bandage.

The sentinel used all his concentration to get past the pounding in his head and felt her warm touch and soothing voice and tried to dial down the pain.

“That’s it breathe in through your nose then let it out through you mouth.” Andy saw the man trying. “There you go,” she encouraged.

“Who are you?”

“My name is Andy, Andrea. What’s yours?”

His mind was groggy and dull with pain. After a long silence she asked. “Do you know who you are?”

“Jim.”

“Ok, Jim.” She smiled at his simple answer. “Did you say you're having trouble with your sight?”

“Yes." The Sentinel opened his eyes and tried to focus but all he could see were blurry shapes and shadows. He groaned when he tried to shift his body.

“Maybe you should keep them shut until I can get you to a hospital? Do you think I need to bandage them? Do they hurt? Oh. Geez. Does anything else hurt?” She gushed, starting to panic because she might have missed an important injury.

“No. No. They don’t hurt. Nothing else hurts,” he lied calmly. “Maybe you should breathe slowly?” He sent a small smile in her general direction as he repeated her early instructions.

The sentinel knew she had caught the smile when he heard her chuckle. The woman squeezed his hand and tried to gently tuck the blankets back around him. “I will if you will.”

“It’s a deal,” he said softly as his senses came back on-line. First, his sense of touch. Her hands were soft and caring and they felt warm and reassuring. He could hear a generator running and the slight hiss of heat coming from a vent at his feet. His sense of smell kicked in and he picked up her very soft scent, that even to a sentinel was not over powering. He could also smell a light sweaty smell. It must have been a struggle to get me in here, he surmised. His sight was still not working but he knew she was a beautiful woman, if not in body then definitely in her soul.

“Where am I?”

I wish I knew, she thought, but said, “you’re in my RV. I found you off the side of the road.”

“My truck?”

“I’m sorry, it looked pretty bad,” she stated softly, quickly adding when she saw his face sadden, “but I’m not a mechanic. I really don’t know.”

“Oh.”

“I wish I could drive with only one hand but this thing is too big for that, and I really need to get you to a doctor?” He instantly tightened his grip. “It’s okay, Jim,” she smoothed. “I’m only going about two feet.”

Jim fought the urge to hang on, realizing she was right. He eased his grip, then let go. She smiled and tucked his arm under the blankets. She rose slowly while giving the blind man a reassuring, pat on the shoulder.

Not a big talker, but knowing her patient only had his hearing for comfort she slipped in an easy listening CD and started to sing-along. He smiled when he realized what she was doing. She was a lousy singer but he allowed her voice to wash over him. It helped calm him so he could relax enough to sleep.

***

"Hey, Simon." Blair bounced over to the captain's car, where Simon was packing the last of the groceries into an overstuffed cooler in his trunk.

"You're late as usual, Sandburg." The Captain scorned. He looked up just as the anthropologist carelessly flung his backpack into the small space beside the cooler.

"Sandburg that doesn't go there, go put it in the back seat."

"All right. All right." The young man held up one hand in a surrendering motion. "Here, hold this." The young man handed the captain a box while he pulled his backpack out of the trunk.

"What the hell is this?" Banks questioned. Dirt shook out of the bottom of the box as it was thrust into his hands.

"It's the reason I'm late. It was part of the shipment I was cataloguing. It's really strange."

The police captain interrupted, knowing this was going to be a long story and wasn't really in the mood for it. "Sandburg we're late and I don't want to hear about some shipment. I want to get to the cabin and relax. This chit-chat is cutting into my fishing time and there are only three days. So give it a rest and get in the car." Simon punctuated his speech by shoving the box into the tiny space next to the cooler and slamming the trunk.

"Okay, okay. Geez man, are you going to be grumpy all the way to the cabin or what?" He questioned getting into the passenger side.

"Or what."

"Oh man, it's so going to be a long ride," the young man grumbled as he put his seatbelt on.

***

Andy pulled up to the emergency entrance. “Jim? Are you awake?”

“Yes,” came a sleepy reply.

“Jim, I’m going to get some help. I’ll be right back. Okay?”

He nodded carefully.

She hopped down from the cab and quickly came back with two burly orderlies pushing a gurney. The orderlies came out of the side door carrying Jim. They carefully placed him on the gurney. As soon as he sensed Andy was near he extended his hand. She gladly took it, knowing how disorienting it was for the man who suddenly couldn’t see. She walked beside the gurney as they took him to an examining room.

“You can’t go in there,” a big nurse commanded.

Andy knew she wouldn’t be going any further so she called to Jim, trying to reassure him. “Jim, I’ll be right here. I won’t leave you here alone. I promise.”

Although her heartbeat was different then Sandburg’s he let his senses lock on to her, needing the comfort.

***

"Simon, where's Jim's truck?" Blair questioned not really expecting an answer, but hoping for one just the same.

"I don't know, it doesn't look like he got here?"

Barely waiting for Simon to finish his sentence, he reached into the backseat and got his cell phone out of his backpack and started dialing. After several rings he held the phone away from his ear so the recorded message "The number you have dialed is not available at this time," could be heard by Simon. "Simon?"

Seeing the panic starting to build in the young observer, Banks quickly decided on a course of action. "Let's go back to town and see if he stopped on the way maybe he just has car trouble.

Or just plain trouble. Blair thought unwilling to say it out loud.

***

After several hours and a whole battery of tests, Jim was resting in a hospital bed. He knew she was coming before the soft knock on the door.

Peeking in, she whispered, “hey, Jim. You awake?”

“Yes.” He was surprised at how relaxed he became with her arrival.

Andy took in the sight of the man in front of her. He had been cleaned up and his beauty was quiet apparent even through the layers of gauze and the scratches on his face and neck. “How are you? What did they say about your eyes?” She reached his side and he extended his hand in her general direction. She took his hand after she dropped his duffel bag on the floor.

“There was no damage to the eyes themselves. But I do have a concussion.

"Do they know how long the blindness will last?" She asked carefully.

"You know doctors. They won't say anything except be patient."

Hearing the worry in his voice and feeling him tighten his hold on her, Andy quickly changed the subject. “How ‘bout the rest of you?” She asked, taking in the sight of the man in front of her.

“My knee’s pretty banged up, but it’s not broken. I have a couple of cracked ribs, but they’ll heal. The doctor says I’ll be sore for a while. But there’s no permanent damage.” The sleepy patient gave a great yawn to finish his medical report.

“Well maybe I should let you get some sleep?” She turned to leave.

“Please?” The blind man tightened his grip on her hand, unwilling to let her go. “I know I’ve caused you a lot of trouble but could you stay just a little longer?” He didn’t care how it sounded, he just didn’t want her to get away. He wanted a chance to see her. Jim was amazed at how important it was becoming that he get to know this stranger better. A woman, alone, would risk saving a man she didn’t know and then care enough to check on him. She promised she wouldn't leave him alone. And she had kept her promise. He had to find out more about this remarkable woman.

Looking at the blind man, she said, “All right. Let me get a chair.” Jim wouldn’t let go of her hand so she had to drag the chair over with her foot. While Andy got herself settled in the chair using one hand, she asked him a question she hadn’t thought to ask before. “Jim is there someone I can call for you? Someone who would be worried about you?” When she didn’t get an answer she looked up and found him sound asleep.

***

SATURDAY

Blair was frantic. The trip back into town had found nothing. Jim hadn't stopped nor had there been any signs of his truck. Blair was pacing in Simon’s office. Simon had had three hours of this and had finally reached his limit. “Sandburg either sit down or get out of my office,” he barked. When he saw the young man flinch and sag into one of the chairs he softened a little. “Blair, I’m just as worried about Jim as you are, but please. We have an APB out on him and his truck, it will turn up something.” He hoped.

“But Simon...,” his comment was interrupted when Rafe threw opened the captain’s office door.

“They found Jim’s truck. It was run off the road. Range Road, off of highway 26.”

“What about Jim?” Blair shouted as he jumped out of the chair.

“He wasn’t in it.” He looked down not able to face Blair with what he had to say next.

Simon was around his desk and stood next to Blair. “What did they find, Rafe?” Simon asked carefully.

“Blood and a starred windshield.” He mumbled, still not looking up.

“Blood? Jim’s blood? Oh, God.” Blair shuddered.

Simon guided the young man back into the chair and knelt down in front of him.

“Blair, don’t do this. Getting upset is not going to help us find Jim. He wasn’t in the truck. He probably got out, or someone found him.”

Blair nodded, unconvinced.

“Come on, Sandburg. Let's go get Jim’s truck,” Simon suggested trying anything to get the kid’s mind, and his, off the worst.

***

Ellison woke to the sun’s rays warming him. He slowly opened his eyes, then squinted them against the brightness. Adjusting his senses, he tried again. Slowly his eyes began to focus. Seeing his large hand holding a softer, smaller one he started to remember.

Simon, Blair and Jim were going to Simon’s cabin for a long weekend of fishing and no police or school work. Simon had some paperwork to finish off and Blair was doing something at the University. So it was decided that Jim would go ahead of them and get the cabin ready. He liked the idea of having some time to himself even if it meant that he would have to chop wood while doing it. He smiled as he thought. At least they weren't following him uninvited, like the last time he tried to be alone.

The smile quickly vanished as he remembered what happened next. He had gotten about half way to the cabin when a big brown van came out of nowhere and had tried to run him off the road. After several minutes of evasion the van got the better of his truck and forced him off the road. That was all he remembered until he woke up in a van of some kind, probably an RV the way things were rattling above his head, with this woman taking care of him.

The detective's eyes traveled up her arm, to her torso that was stretched from the chair to the bed, ending with long brown hair next to his hip. She slept like that all night? He chastised himself for being so selfish. Jim let go of her hand and raised it towards her head.

As soon as he let go of her hand she woke, thinking something was wrong. She groaned as her back let her know its feeling about sleeping in a chair all night.

“Good morning,” he greeted as he viewed the sleepy face of the woman that had rescued him. Andy was in her late thirties and had beautiful blue eyes that twinkled as she smiled at him. Her outer beauty matched her inner beauty perfectly. Jim was glad he finally was able to see the woman that had saved him. He reached out and touched her face, letting his sight catch up to his other senses that already knew her so well.

“Morning. Hey, you can see me.” She stated excitedly, when she realized Jim had touched her face without poking her in the eye.

“Yes I can.” He gave her his best smile.

“Let me get a doctor.”

Before he could say another word she was gone.

***

Blair and Simon were in the hospital parking lot. “Blair this is the closest hospital. It doesn’t mean he has to be here. There are other hospitals. We should check the others too.” Simon had his hand on the younger man’s shoulder, trying to comfort him.

He shook his head. “No they would have taken him to the closest hospital unless he had no use for one.”

“Sandburg. That attitude is not helpful, besides you know better then that,” Banks scolded. “Get in the car we’re going back to the cabin to see if Jim made it there?”

Blair saw the way the Captain was chewing nervously on his cigar and knew he was just as worried. The young man decided he didn’t want to deal with an upset **and** ticked off Captain, so he quietly complied.

***

Jim had managed to get his jeans on but was having trouble getting the shirt around him; the tape around his ribs was making it impossible. He was still struggling when Andy entered the room.

“So they’re letting you out?” Seeing his predicament, she started to help. Andy held the sleeve out so he could get his arm through. She was going to button the front but stopped to take in the very nice chest in front of her. The young woman blushed and let go of his shirt. Looking away from the beauty in front of her, she cleared her throat. “Do you want me to give you a ride home?”

“I was hoping you would?” Jim smiled at the obvious change of subject and finished buttoning his shirt.

A nurse entered pushing a wheelchair. “I’m sorry, hospital rules.” Jim hobbled over to the chair and gently sat.

“Oh wait.” He started for his duffel bag. But the arm of the wheelchair caught his ribs perfectly and all he could do was grunt to hide the cry of pain he wanted to release.

“Don’t worry, I've got it.” Andy zipped up his bag and threw it over her shoulder. “Let me go get Bessie.”

“Bessie?” The sentinel questioned.

“Yes, Bessie, my RV, the one that dragged your butt up that hill.” A fine butt it is too, she thought, smiling sweetly.

***

Jim refused to take any medicine and his head was pounding, which made him lose his struggle with Andy on whether or not he should sit up front or lay down in back. After much cajoling Andy got the stubborn man to lie down. Andy got in the driver’s seat and asked over her shoulder, “Uh, Jim is there someone we should call and let them know you’re okay?”

***

Blair unlocked the door and stepped inside. He was tired and frustrated. Almost twenty-four hours and nothing. No ransom, no reasons why. He and Simon had gone through Jim’s cases with no leads as to what could have happened to him.

So intent on going straight to bed he missed the small bundle under the afghan on the couch. As he reached the kitchen he heard it.

“Chief. Is that you?”

“Jim?” He whispered in disbelief as he sprinted for the stairs to Jim’s room.

When Blair got to the top he found his partner propped up on his elbows. The young man quickly crossed the room, sat on the side of the bed, and wrapped his arms around his missing friend. “I can’t believe you’re alive. You’re all right. Oh man.”

Jim let out a small grunt when his ribs were squeezed, but returned the embrace with equal enthusiasm, using one arm to hold them upright. “Chief. I’m hardly all right, but yes I'm alive. Thanks to the lady downstairs.”

Blair’s mind was racing. All the anxiety of the last twenty-four hours was turning into blessed relief as he held his best friend. But the relief was quickly replaced by rage at being left to think the worst; that his partner might be lying dead on the side of the road somewhere and that he was not there to help him.

“What lady?” He pulled away.

“Andy. She’s downstairs.”

Blair turned and was down the stairs in a flash.

Andy was wiping the sleep out of her eyes, after waking to men's voices in the loft above, when a short man suddenly loomed over her. She gave him an awkward smile. The smile faded as it seamed to make him angrier.

“How could you? How could you not call me and let me know he was all right. That he was alive and would be all right.” He shouted at the startled woman. She rose quickly from the couch and back towards the door, trying to get away from the man with the flailing arms and all the hair.   “What kind of sadist would deliberately not call his partner and let him know he was all right.” Her back hit the door as he continued his rage. "Didn’t you think to take him to a doctor? Why didn’t you at least take him to a hospital?”

“Sandburg! Stop that right now.” Ellison roared from the top of the stairs.

Hearing Jim’s booming voice and having the hysterical person screaming at her, she took the momentary silence to slip out the door and head for the stairs, at a run.

“Andy! Wait! Sandburg. What the hell are you doing.” Jim started down the stairs but his knee gave out and he managed to fall backwards and land on his rear. “Sandburg go after her.”

“I will not. You’re hurt,” he said going to his friend.

“She saved me.”

“So. She could have called Simon or me. Instead she made us sick with worry.”

“Stop it.” Jim pushed him aside and continued down the stairs. He hobbled to the door and listened to Bessie’s engine grow faint. His shoulders sagged and he carefully changed direction and went to the answering machine.

“Jim, go back to bed. You need to rest.”

“Sandburg,” Ellison growled pressing the blinking message button. A woman’s voice came over the machine.

“Mr. Sandburg. My name is Andrea. I found your friend Jim. He’s all right." She added quickly. "He had to spend the night at the hospital but we’re on our way home now. I’m sorry I didn’t call you sooner but I didn’t get a chance to get your number. Please don’t worry, he’s okay. I promise. We’ll be home...”

Blair reached over and pushed the stop button. He couldn’t hear anymore. “Oh my God, what have I done? I’ll go get her.” He rose, from the kitchen chair he had sagged into.

“It’s too late Chief. She’s gone.”

“We can get her back Jim, what’s her name, where does she live?”

“Her name is Andy, Andrea.”

“And?”

Jim rubbed his forehead, mindful of the bandage, trying anything to stop the throbbing in his head. “And I don’t know. I wasn’t exactly in a position to ask her her life history. I was busy recovering.”

“Oh Jim, I feel terrible.”

“How do you think I feel. I need to lie down.” Blair tried to help but Jim refused.

“Jim, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I thought....I thought you were dead.” The sentinel heard the fear and grief in his voice and could see weariness in his partner’s face. He placed his arm around his young friend’s shoulder and let him help him back up the stairs.

***

“Andy, if this is you, I couldn’t wait any longer. I’m sorry but something came up and I’ll be out of town for about a two weeks. Sorry I missed you. It would be so much easier if you lived on **this** coast. Talk to you later. Oh, if this isn’t Andy leave a message. Bye.”

She pushed the off button on the phone. “I hate answering machines.” Andy pulled off at the next rest stop. When she pulled into a parking space away from the other cars and campers, she was crying. Andy crawled over the hump and got a beer out of the refrigerator. “That’s just great! Just friggin’ great. I come all this way and something came up? You knew he would stand you up. You get your hopes up for nothing.” She screamed at herself as she took a long drink from the beer. “And then you have to go butting into someone else’s business. You know that no good deed shall go unpunished. Well there you have it! Happy now?” She finished the beer and threw the beer bottle into the shower with all the force she could muster. She slumped onto the bed and finished crying.

***

Simon knocked on the door to the loft. Blair slowly opened the door. “Come in Simon.”

Simon was confused by the dejected look to the young man in front of him. “Where is he?”

“I’m up here.” Jim called from the top of the stairs. “Simon we have to find her. She’s driving an older model Winnibago, with the name Bessie on the passenger side.”

"Hold on a minute. What is going on?" He watched his best detective hobble down the stairs. "Jim, maybe you should go to the hospital and get checked out?"

"I already did that. I'm fine, Simon, really." Simon helped him into a kitchen chair while Sandburg got the coffee.

"What happened?" The captain asked, accepting a coffee mug from Sandburg.

"Thanks, Chief." The sentinel noticed how quite his guide was as he sat across from the Captain. "All I remember is being run off the road by a brown paneled van. I didn't get a tag. I was too busy trying to avoid it. I didn't do such a good job as you can tell from the mess my truck is in." He smiled briefly as he remembered Andy's description of his truck and the way she tried to make him feel better. She didn’t even know him.

“Jim?” The captain prompted, gently touching his arm.

"We have to find her, Captain. We have to."

"Find who?" The captain looked at Jim then to the very quite grad student.

"Andy, Andrea. She's the one that found me and got me to the hospital."

"No last name? Just Andrea?" The captain questioned.

"I'm sorry Simon. I wasn't thinking clearly. I was too busy worrying if I would ever see again. We have to find her."

"You were blind?" Sandburg questioned, rising from his seat unable to face any more.

"Yes, but it was gone by morning." The sentinel tried to lighten the implications. "It was only temporary. I'm fine now, Chief."

"I think I need something stronger." The guide went to the stove to put the kettle on.

"What is going on between you two? Sandburg you should be glad Jim's home safe."

"I am Captain. I am." He turned to watch the kettle boil.

Simon looked to Ellison for answers. "Well?" He prodded.

He looked at his guide's back and started softly. "She brought me home. Sandburg missed the message on the answering machine and overreacted." He bowed his head, remembering the last time he saw her. The frightened look on her face as she fled. "We have to find her, Simon. I didn't get a chance to thank her." He looked up from his coffee and Simon was surprised by the sadness in his friend's face.

***

The sun was just starting to go down when there was a knock on the door.

“Yes?”

“Cascade PD”

She opened the door and was immediately dragged out of the camper. A tall skinny man held her by the arms, while an older, chubby man slipped into the motor home looking for something. He came out quickly and turned his attention to their captive. “Where is Ellison? What did you do with him?”

She wasn’t sure who Ellison was. 'Oh great they must want **him**?' “Jim?”

A fisted blow caught her in the face, splitting her lip.

“Where is he?” The man in front of her screamed.

“I took him home.” The man punched her again this time in the ribs. Her knees buckled but the man behind her held her up.

“Where is home?”

The guy holding her, tighten his grip and spoke. “Don’t worry Murray he lives on Prospect.”

“Why?” She gasped trying to get air back in her lungs.

“We want the Professor and Ellison’s in the way.” Murray sneered.

Andy thought they would let her go, now that they knew where he was. She was wrong. The man holding her started dragging her towards a large brown van. She was concentrating on keeping herself upright when her captors spotted a police cruiser coming their way. The skinny man panicked and let go of her arms just long enough to give her a hard shove. The momentum of the shove and her weakened knees sent her sprawling over a small hedge and down an embankment. A big bush broke her fall when she hit the bottom, but it effectively hid the unconscious woman. The two men quickly got into their van and drove away.

The policemen in the cruiser were busy discovering the missing Winnibago, with the name Bessie on the passenger side; they thought nothing of the van exiting the rest stop.

***

“I didn’t get a chance to say good bye.” Jim spoke sadly into his cup of coffee.

“Jim, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.”

Hearing the sadness in his guide’s voice, Jim looked up and gave his partner’s arm a reassuring pat. “It’s okay Chief, we’ll find her.

The sadness never left the sentinel’s eyes. The Captain had never seen his detective so upset. What had happened? Who was this woman? Simon was distracted from his thoughts when his pocket started to ring. “Banks,” he listened.

So did the sentinel. Jim got up, heading for the door and his coat.

“Yeah got it. Be there in ten.” Simon closed the phone and stood. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“Simon, we have to find her. **I** need to find her.” He tried to put his coat on too quickly and groaned. Blair was at his side and gently helped him. “Thanks Chief. You coming?”

"Sure Jim, I want to apologize."

***

Simon had barely stopped the car, when Jim got out and scanned the area. Even in the growing darkness, the sentinel knew, if she were close he would be able to find her. Letting his hearing find her heartbeat, the heartbeat that had kept him calm in the hospital, he slowly turned and found the missing heartbeat

It was about a hundred yards from the motor home. The tall detective hobbled over to the hedge and using his sentinel sight spotted the unconscious woman under some bushes. He gingerly stepped over the bushes and slowly made his way down the embankment. Jim's knee would not allow him to kneel down so he carefully sat next to the bush. He gently pulled her out from under the branches and turning her over pulled her into his lap. Even without his heightened senses he could feel how cold she was without a coat, he started to unbutton his coat when Blair reached down and touched his hand.

“Jim, let me.” He took off his coat. Jim saw the sorrow in his guide’s face as he gently wrapped the coat around the small woman. The gesture from his always-cold friend was heart warming.

As the warm material touched her skin, her eyes snapped open. Seeing the man with the hair in front of her again she tried to get away. “Please. No. I didn't...” The rest of her apology was cut short by a moan when her movements to escape caused her battered body to protest.

“Sandburg,” Simon put a hand on the observer’s shoulder.

Sandburg rose and let the Captain stoop in front of the frightened woman. Banks took a moment to study the woman in his detective's arms. She was smaller than he had imagined. How the hell did she get him up that hill and into her RV? Why would she? “Miss? We need to get you to a hospital. Can you make it?” Banks knew she would not be able to but thought giving her the option would be for the best. She had her arms wrapped around her middle and her eyes were squeezed shut against the pain. Her lip was bleeding and she had several scrapes on her face from the bush she landed in. “Miss?” He tried to get her attention by gently touching her shoulder. She jerked from his touch, letting out a small cry at the movement.

“Andy. It’s Jim can you hear me?” Jim was carefully cradling her against his chest while gently rubbing her arm.

“Jim?” She stirred in his arms. “Jim?”

“I’m right here. You’re safe," he cooed.

She opened her eyes to find a big black man kneeling in front of her. She started to back away from him and found a strange softness at her back.

“It’s all right. He’s a friend,” the sentinel assured her.

“I’m Simon Banks. I’m here to help you.” He gave her one of his best smiles. She relaxed a bit at the gentle smile on the handsome man. “Miss, we need to get you to a hospital. Let me help you.” He stood and went to her side and knelt again. She watched him intently. He slid his arm under her legs. Then moved to slide his arm between them. She started to panic.

Jim felt her tense and tried to comfort her. “Shh. It’s all right he’s trying to help. I can’t lift you with my ribs taped. I can barely get a shirt on, remember?” His voice smiled at the memory of the woman blushing. He felt her relax a bit and released his hold on her. Simon lifted her with ease.

She moaned loudly as she was lifted.

“Sorry. We’ll get you to the hospital as soon as possible.” He stopped talking to concentrate on getting his bundle to safety.

Behind him, Blair helped Jim to his feet. Jim put his arm around Blair’s shoulders after seeing the way they sagged with guilt and cold. He knew what Blair was feeling and tried to comfort him in the only way he knew how, through touch.

“It’s my fault, Jim, if I hadn’t frightened her out of the loft they wouldn’t have hurt her.”

“It's going to be all right. We found her. She's going to be fine.”

As they reached to top of the embankment, the sentinel saw the figure in his captain’s arms go limp. The detective called to his captain, urgency in his voice. “Simon put her in the camper. It’s warm in there, there’s a bed.”

***

Pulling away from the curb, Bessie swayed slightly. The movement caused the unconscious woman to gasp awake. “Jim?”

“Right here. You’re going to be okay. We’re on our way to the hospital.” A slight squeeze on her hand accompanied the calm voice.

“No Jim, the men, they wanted something.” Her free hand slowly rose to hold her aching head. “They wanted to know where you were.” She let out a moan when she felt the damage to her face. “Jim?”

“Shh, be still. I’m right here.”

“Jim. They wanted you..." Her voice trailed off as her eyes closed against the tears. “Jim. I didn’t tell them, they already knew." Her eyes opened wide with panic.

"Knew what?" The captain asked softly.

Her gaze followed the voice to come to rest on the handsome black man at the foot of her bed. "They knew where he lived." She turned back to "Jim they wanted you out of the way.” Her strength ebbed and her eyes closed again.

“Andy? Did they tell you why they wanted me out of the way? Andy?”

With her eyes still closed she slowly nodded. Her voice barely a whisper. “They wanted the Professor?” Her strength was depleted and the warmth of the RV blanketed her in sleep.

“What? What did she say.” Blair called from the driver’s seat.

“Nothing Chief. She passed out.” Jim looked at his boss. Simon had heard. He’d heard everything.

What could a grad student be involved with that would make someone risk taking out a police officer? Simon wondered.

***

“She’s quite a lady.” Simon commented as he handed his detective a cup of coffee.

“Yes sir, she is,” Jim agreed with a wide yawn.

Banks noticed his friend's appearance for the first time. “Jim, maybe you should go home and get some rest. You look beat.”

“Not until I know she’s all right.” He yawned again. “She stayed with me, it’s the least I can do for her. After all, getting involved with me got her into this.”

“She’s not going to be alone. I’ll stay with her,” Banks offered. “Jim you’re exhausted. You can’t protect Sandburg if you’re exhausted. Go on, I’ll stay with her.” Seeing that his officer wasn’t moving, he continued. “I can make it an order, Detective.”

Jim knew he would not win this argument and knew his captain was right. He was exhausted and was still recovering from his injuries.

Blair had been pacing back and forth in the waiting area, mumbling under his breath.

“Sandburg, would you stop that and take your partner home. We have a patrol car outside waiting.

The sentinel slowly rose and hobbled towards the exit. “Simon. Tell her," he paused looking for the words, “tell her.”

“I will, Jim. I will.” The captain smiled knowingly.

“Chief, you coming?”

“Right behind you, big guy.”

***

The young woman woke in the hospital, when the nurse touched her wrist to get her pulse.

“Where am I?” She questioned drowsily.

“You’re in the hospital,” the nurse smiled.

“Jim?”

“Jim?” The nurse questioned.

“Is Jim here?”

“No I’m sorry there isn’t anyone here.” The nurse stated sadly. She hated it when a patient woke up confused and there were no loved ones around to comfort them. “But I’m here with you.” She added hopefully, giving the young woman her best smile.

“Am I badly broken? Everything seams to hurt.”

“No, you’re going to be fine. You just got banged up a bit.” The nurse gently pushed the hair away from her forehead. “Just rest. You’ll feel better in the morning.”

“Thanks.” Andy slurred as she fell into a peaceful sleep.

***

SUNDAY

“What the hell are you doing here?” The surprised detective stated when he saw his captain working in his office. It was obvious that he hadn’t gone home from the previous night.

“Ah, I work here, detective, and good morning to you too.” He nodded to Blair who was standing just behind the detective. “Sandburg.”

“Sorry sir. It’s just that you said you would stay with her.” Jim stated calming down a bit.

“I was Jim, but I wanted to check on the progress of the case.”

“I should get to the hospital. Be there when she wakes up.”

“Jim, wait, have a seat.” The captain motioned to the chairs in front of his desk.

As the men took their seats Simon went around his desk and poured cups of coffee, before continuing. “Have you figured out what these guys want? Why they want Sandburg?”

“Me. They want me?”

The captain was surprised that the partners hadn’t discussed this before now. “Jim, you didn’t tell him? Didn’t you talk about the case?”

Jim looked down at the floor and mumbled. “I fell asleep on the way home.”

Sandburg’s shocked expression was replaced with a small grin as he remembered having to practically carry his unconscious friend upstairs.

Simon quickly wiped the grin off his face as he looked at his best team. “Sandburg, can you think of any reason someone would want Jim out of the way so they could get to you?”

As expected Sandburg jumped up and started pacing. “Me?”

His earlier embarrassment forgotten, Jim asked. “Chief, have you ticked off anyone lately? Any boyfriends, or co-eds?”

Ignoring the last comment. “No. Not anyone that would try to hurt **you** first. I’ve just been cataloging a shipment for the university. Nothing unusual there.” He stopped in mid pace and looked at his Captain. “Uh, Simon is your car downstairs?”

“Yeah. Why?” He looked at the anthropologist’s expression. The young man looked like a deer caught in headlights. Realization dawned and he slowly asked. “What’s in the box?”

“A skull.” The student said meekly.

“What kind of skull?” He asked carefully, knowing he was not going to like the answer.

“A human skull,” the student replied.

“ **You** put a human skull in the trunk of **my** car!?” The captain bellowed.

“Yes, well actually **you** put it in the trunk of your car.” Blair stopped talking when he saw both his partner’s and the captain’s expressions. If looks could kill he would be pushing up daises where he stood.

“Sandburg,” the captain growled.

“Chief, what’s so special about the skull?” The sentinel interrupted the large man, rising to come between the two men, trying to defuse the situation.

“Nothing. I don’t think it’s of any value. It doesn’t appear to be that old.”

“How can you tell how old it is?” Banks questioned angrily, still not over the fact that he had a skull rolling around in the trunk of his car.

“It has extensive dental work and the tribe the artifacts are from don’t have dentists,” the grad student replied, a little annoyed that the captain would question the results of his study of the artifact. “I was going to take it to forensics to see what they could find out when all this started.”

“Sandburg, go get the skull,” the captain commanded between clenched teeth, tossing his keys to the grad student.

Just then Bank’s phone rang.

“Banks.” He listened for a moment. “She WHAT!”

The sound of the captain’s voice made Blair stop in his tracks. The sentinel eavesdropped in time to hear the end of the conversation. “She’s gone, Sir. One minute the doctor’s in with her, the next she’s checked herself out and vanishes.”

Jim sank into one of the captain’s chairs and closed his eyes and ears to any more bad news.

“Fine. Just get an APB out on her. And consider yourself on report, Davis.” He hung up the phone and turned to his miserable looking detective. “Jim I’m sorry.”

“What? What’s going on.” Blair questioned.

“Andy’s gone, Chief.”

“She’s WHAT?”

“Gone. Sandburg,” the annoyed captain growled. “As in checked out of the hospital without leaving a trace.

“Gone?” The young man sank into the other chair.

“She insisted on leaving. Said the sooner she left the state the better,” Banks quietly added.

“She woke up alone.” The sentinel mumbled, remembering the way she had fallen asleep in the chair next to him holding his hand.

“Jim, I’m sorry. I made sure she was settled and I left an officer to guard her.

“I shouldn’t have left her.”

***

Andy didn’t get too far when she started to get tired. She pulled into a shopping area and parked. She figured they wouldn’t think to look in a shopping center, if they were looking for her. The young woman carefully got into bed and fell asleep.

***

“Jim why don’t you go home and rest.” Concern colored the captain’s voice. They had been waiting several hours for the preliminary report on the skull. With no news about Andy the detective was looking a little strained.

“No. Thanks, Captain, I’ll be fine.” The detective looked tiredly at his captain.

“Jim, why don’t you lie down on the couch in my office for a little while. You look like you’re ready to drop.”

Before the detective could answer the observer came bouncing into Major Crimes, looking like he just swallowed Tweety bird.

“All right, Chief, what have you got?” The detective was ready for **any** kind of good news.

“ **We’ve** got Samuel Crance,” Sandburg grinned, tossing the paper on Ellison’s desk with flourish. “I knew it. I knew that skull wasn’t part of that shipment.”

“Samuel who?” The captain questioned, valiantly trying to ignore the dancing man next to him.

“Crance. Crance.” Jim turned to his computer and punched a few keys. A picture, with a short bio, came up on his screen. “FBI most wanted” appeared at the top.

They read that he was wanted for murder and had ties to organized crime.

“Figures,” Ellison mumbled as he read the man’s bio.

“How the hell did his head get into a crate for the university?” Simon questioned, becoming agitated.

“I don’t know, Simon. I’d like to check it out.” Ellison grabbed his jacket and headed for the door with Sandburg hot on his heels.

“Be careful,” Simon shouted at the retreating figures.

He turned to go back into his office when Rhonda met him at his door. She handed him a folder. He thanked her and went into his office. He looked over at the coffee pot and seeing it empty thought better of more coffee and headed for the couch. He stretched out with a groan as his body reminded him that he had gone almost two days without sleep. Once he was settled he opened the folder. It was a report on Miss Andrea Cartwright, Computer Analysis. Height 5’ 4” weight 130 pounds, according to her driver’s license. She lived in a small town, he didn’t recognize nor could pronounce, in the state of Florida.

“Computer Analysis,” he mumbled as his eyes slowly shut, the folder sliding to the floor.

***

Several hours later, Ellison and Sandburg came back into Major Crimes. Ellison’s knuckles were wrapped with gauze. His hair was sticking up every which way. Sandburg had a band aid over his right eye and a bruise on his left jaw. They crossed the room and Jim lightly tapped on his captain’s door. Not getting the well known bellow to come in, the sentinel sent his hearing into the room behind the door. He smiled when he heard his captain’s steady heartbeat and snoring.

“He’s sleeping,” the sentinel informed his guide.

“Shouldn’t we let him sleep?” The guide questioned.

“No. He’ll want to know about Murray and Timothy,” Ellison whispered quietly, opening the captain’s door.

“He looks so calm. Not like the snarling captain we know and love,” Blair whispered as he reached down to pick up the folder on the floor.

Ellison smiled knowing the captain had woken up when they walked in the room.

“You say one word, Ellison, and you’ll be riding a desk for the next two months.” Banks growled opening his eyes.

His growl startled the smaller man, making him lost his balance and land on his butt. The detective started laughing in spite of himself.

He reached down and gave his partner a hand as the captain rose from the couch. 

Seeing his men for the first time, he gaped at them. “You guys are a mess! What happened?”

The captain was quickly informed that when they entered the basement room, that held the crate the skull was in, they ran into the Bowman brothers tearing the room apart. After a short scuffle, with Blair taking out both men, the brothers were arrested and were waiting in the holding cell downstairs.

“Sandburg took them both out?” Banks questioned the big detective in front of him.

“Well…”

“The femur is one heck of a weapon when you use it like a club,” the anthropologist explained quickly. Trying to spare his big friend the embarrassment of trying to explain that Murray got the upper hand because of his injuries.

“Have you had a chance to interrogate them?” Banks questioned as he started a pot of coffee.

“Yes, Sir. They won’t, or probably can’t, say who they work for. It looks like they’re hired help. Not very good hired help the way they bungled the job.” The detective slid into one of the chairs facing the desk.

Sandburg picked up where Ellison left off. “It looks like they were supposed to get the bones **before** they got to the university. When they missed that opportunity they found out that I had signed for the shipment and discovered that they would have to go through a police officer to get to me.” He stopped to look down at his exhausted partner.

“I believe that the bones where sent here to frighten George Trent into cooperating with the mob.” The sentinel added.

“George Trent is the local mob boss who was trying to break away from the family,” the younger partner continued. “When the discovery of the body hits the newspaper it will have the same effect as if the Bowman brothers were able to deliver the body to Trent personally.” Blair finished his report and accepted the offered coffee.

“You guys did good. Jim, why don’t you take the rest of the day off and get some rest?” Banks was worried about his best man. He looked like he could barely keep his eyes opened.

“No, Captain, I want to wait for news about Andy.” Jim rose from the chair and had to hold in a groan that was forcing its way through his body.

“Jim I’ll leave orders that when they find her they are to call you. All right?”

The exhausted officer grudgingly agreed. Knowing he was in no condition to wait for anything.

“All right, Captain. Thanks,” he said, exiting the office.

“Sandburg? Take care of him,” Simon stated softly.

“Yes, Sir,” the young man said with a smile.

***

MONDAY

She sat quietly drinking her coffee, looking at the passing traffic. She had been sitting for a couple of hours waiting for the grocery store to open. Stepping out of the motor home and locking the door, she whirled around when she heard a voice behind her.

“Miss? Cascade Police.”

***

Simon watched two uniformed officers bringing a prisoner into Major Crimes. He exited his office to find out why. As he approached, the huddled figure slowly raised her head. Although her hair and clothes were in disarray, probably from a struggle, he recognized her.

“What the hell is going on? Take those cuffs off her right now,” he barked. She flinched from the booming voice and whimpered.

“But, Captain, she fought us. We had to use them to restrain her.”

In a strained voice, trying not to frighten the already terrified woman. “You were supposed to bring her in for questioning, not arrest her.” Then he turned his attention to the frightened woman in front of him. “Miss Cartwright are you all right?” He could tell she was far from all right. “Miss?”

She slowly shook her head. He reached out and carefully raised her head with a finger under her chin. Her face came into view and he could plainly see the terror in her tear streaked face. Simon went to comfort her by touching her arm while the officer worked on the handcuffs, when her knees buckled. Simon was able to catch her as one of the cuffs came loose. The instant her hands were freed she grabbed the back of Simon’s shirt in a death grip. Simon swept her into his arms and headed for his office.

He laid her legs on the couch and went to lay her upper body down but she wouldn’t let go. He absently started rubbing her back. “Shh, it’s okay. You’re in a police station. It’s all right.”

From the area of his chest he heard her trying to speak through her sobs. “The guys that beat me up...They said...they were police. I thought...I thought it was happening again. They were going to kill..." Her sobbing cut off any further comments. All the captain could do was hold her tightly and rock her back and forth.

Eventually the crying stopped and she fell asleep in his arms.

***

Simon sipped his coffee as he watched the sleeping woman.

She slowly woke as an excited Sandburg bounced into Simon’s office. Ellison went right to Andy’s side and knelt next to the couch, ignoring his protesting knee.

Her first sight was that of Jim's concerned face. “You’re a policeman?”

“Detective actually,” he said with a forced smile.

“You’re the professor?” She asked when Blair came into view.

“Yes, I’m sorry.” She stopped him with a wave of her hand as she slowly sat up groaning.

“I’m Captain Banks.” Seeing the woman conscious and lucid for the first time, the captain was awe struck. She was a beauty. Her eyes were bright although pain wrinkled the corners as she spoke.

“You’re the one who had me brought here?” Andy asked, staring at the tall captain.

The captain nodded, unable to answer the stunning woman on his couch.

“Why?” She demanded, still glaring at the captain.

Her glare and harsh tone brought the captain’s voice back. “You’re a witness in the attempted murder of a police officer and aggravated assault. We needed a statement.”

“A statement?" She squeaked in disbelief. Getting her voice under control, she continued. " **Your** men scare me half to death for a statement? Does this get any better?”

“I’m sorry,” the captain started. She stopped him with the same motion she used to stop Blair.

“Let’s just get this over with. The faster I leave this state, the quicker this nightmare will end.”

The captain was getting annoyed at being thought of as a nightmare. Simon went to his desk and hit a few keys. Blair and Jim tried to help but only ended up aggravating Simon. “Sandburg why don’t you get the lady a cup of tea or something? Ellison don’t you have a report to file?” He pushed a few more buttons with less success.

“Please, Captain let me.” She rose from the couch and slowly crossed the office to carefully sit at his desk. Within seconds, she was quickly typing away on the report. As the sheets were completed the captain took them off the printer. He was amazed at the woman’s writing ability, not to mention her computer skills.

“Have you done this before?” He asked, waving the completed papers in the direction of the computer.

“Yes, I worked for a short time with a police department. They had similar machines and I’m into computers. It’s what I do for a living.”

Blair entered carrying a cup of tea with Jim right on his heels; curious as to why Andy was sitting at the Captain’s desk. Blair placed the cup of tea beside her. She glanced up for only a minute to acknowledge the tea.

Jim read the first two pages Simon handed him, detailing how Andy managed to get him into the RV. He was amazed at her ingenuity. Jim absently handed the pages to Blair, as he took the next few pages from Simon.

Blair grimaced when he read the section that described how she had tried to get the blind man to tell her who to contact and how she had been greeted by the screaming, hairy man.

Simon cringed when he read about how the bad guys posed as cops. It was definitely very traumatic for the young lady, but still she typed. Still trying to help. He smiled at the brave woman sitting at his desk.

Jim read how she woke up in the hospital alone. With no one there she thought it was okay and that she was free to go.

The last page of the report stated how she was arrested and brought to the police department. After the page printed out she signed her name to the bottom. “Is that all you wanted, Captain?” Feeling drained from the last few days, she looked up and handed him the last page. “Can I go now?”

He started to say something then saw the last page of the report. “Yes. I’m really sorry, Miss.”

“Captain, there’s no need, as I have always said.” She groaned while rising. “No good deed shall go unpunished. It was inevitable.” She gave a small, sad smile, grabbed her purse and headed for the door. He let her go first, holding the door for her. 

Taggert stepped forward. “Are you the lady that saved Ellison?”

“Yes?”

“I just wanted to thank you.” He extended his hand. She smiled at the pudgy man, shook the extended hand gently and started to giggle.

“What’s so funny?” The stout man asked everyone.

“You’re the first one to say that. No one’s thanked me.” She quickly sobered.

Ellison dropped his eyes to the ground, while Banks and Sandburg took note of big detective’s reaction.

Joel changed the subject, seeing Ellison. “I heard you were on vacation? Where are you staying?”

“I had reservations at the High Cliff camp grounds.”

“It’s beautiful up there.”

“Well I don’t know. I never made it that far. My date cancelled and I have to be back to work on Monday.”

“Where do you live?” Joel questioned.

“Florida,” she replied.

“Why here?” Joel continued his conversation with her. “Although for Ellison’s sake, I’m glad.”

She smiled briefly. “I was to meet my fiancée here for a vacation. Well, ex-fiancée. It’s a long story.”

“Will you come back next year?”

“No, it took me a year and a half to save for **this** trip and now there’s no reason....”

“Geez, what a shitty vacation,” Blair added absently.

Andy turned to look at Sandburg. “You’re not kidding. But there’s still the drive home. I think I’ll take the time to see some sights, try to salvage something.” She turned back to Joel. “I’ve got to get going. Good bye?” She waited for a name.

“Joel, Joel Taggart.” She shook his hand again.

“Thanks.” She leaned in and gave him a peck on the cheek. She turned to Simon and the others. “Captain,” she nodded. “Jim. Professor.” She nodded to them knowing if she got too close she might cry and she definitely did not want to do anymore of **that**.

Ellison stepped forward. “Andy?”

She froze in her tracks, not knowing what the large man was going to do.

He saw her reaction and stood still. “Andy? I would like to give you a hug. Would that be all right?”

She saw the regret in his eyes and melted. “Yes, that would be nice. I could use a hug right about now.” She gave him an understanding smile.

He closed the distance and opened his arms, allowing her to initiate the hug. She slowly stepped into his embrace and slipped her arms around his waist. Andy closed her eyes as her head came to rest against his chest. His arms gently closed around her shoulders. He lowered his head to her shoulder and whispered, “I’m so sorry you got hurt. So sorry.” She could feel the big man tremble in her embrace and went straight into mother hen mode.

She squeezed him a little harder. Rubbing his back, she whispered, “It’s okay. Honestly. I’ll be fine. I’m just glad you’re okay.” She smiled into his chest, keeping her eyes shut against the tears. “Detective.”

He chuckled and returned the squeeze. “Can I kiss you?”

“I’d like that,” she whispered back, knowing that she would agree to whatever the man needed to do to apologize.

They separated enough so that Ellison could bend down to reach her lips. She lifted her head and stretched up. They gently kissed.

The captain watched in awe as the two kissed. He wondered what it would be like to hold her and kiss her like Ellison was doing. He wasn’t jealous, well, not really.

The mood was broken when the bullpen erupted in wolf whistles and awes. Andy instantly blushed and hid her face in the tall man’s chest. Ellison laughed and gave her another squeeze.

Getting her breath back again, she stretched up and gave him a quick peck on the cheek, then turned towards the elevator. Andy got half way there then turned back. “I can just leave. I don’t have a visitor’s pass or anything?”

“I’ll go with her, Captain,” Joel offered. The captain nodded. Taggart took her arm and they headed to the elevator.

“Am I understanding right? Blair started. “That woman just drove across the continental United States, saved a police officer; had said police officer’s partner scream at her, got the crap beat out of her; then got frightened into hysterics by said police force. Am I getting this right?” Blair raved.

“Don’t forget the fiancée dumping her and her having to turn around and go back without getting a vacation she saved for a year and a half for. Don’t forget that.” Ellison added, his mood turning black again.

“Well, we’ll see about that.” Simon turned and grabbed the phone off Taggart’s desk. “Dispatch this is Banks, page Taggart for me, he’s in the building.”

Within moments the PA system came on paging Taggart. Simon’s phone rang a few moments later. “Joel is Miss Cartwright still with you?” He paused. “Good. See if you can take her to lunch or something, just keep her from leaving town. Okay? I need a couple of hours.” He listened. “Never mind Joel. I’ll tell you later, just do it. Please. Thanks, I owe you one.” He hung up.

“What do you have planned?” Questioned Sandburg.

He reached into his desk and retrieved a cigar, shoving it in his mouth. “Never mind Sandburg. Jim, you and Sandburg go home and get your gear. Then come back here, but leave the stuff in my car.” He handed Jim his keys. “Now go I have a lot of phone calls to make.” With that he sat down and started dialing.

“Rhonda get me the Chief and see if the Mayor’s available.” He barked into the phone as Ellison and Sandburg headed out.

***

Joel carried several shopping bags as he led Andy into the bullpen.

“Hey, Captain," Joel greeted as Simon entered the bullpen reading a single piece of paper. The captain quickly folded it.

“Joel,” he nodded. “Miss Cartwright.”

“Captain, Joel told me it was your idea to show me around Cascade. I just wanted to thank you.   I had a wonderful time. You have a beautiful city.”

“Yes we do, luckily the weather held. Miss Cartwright, I was wondering if you would allow me to take you to dinner?”

“No I don’t think so Captain, but thanks anyway. I have to be going.”

“I really feel bad about what we put you through, I know a dinner at Carlo’s wouldn’t even start to make up for it, but I would feel better at least for the gesture.”

“You should go. It’s not often that the Captain treats anyone to dinner, especially Carlo’s,” Joel smiled.

Simon shot him a dirty look. “Please?” It was his last try before he told her the whole truth.

“All right. But you have to let me change. Is it a fancy place?”

“Yes. Very,” Joel added helpfully.

“Okay, but you’ll have to give me an hour. Fancy takes longer,” she smiled.

“An hour then,” Simon agreed.

She turned, took her packages from Joel’s desk and headed for the elevator.

***

Simon was pacing his office when Ellison and Sandburg entered. “Jim it’s a go. Have you got everything?”

“Yes, Simon. Are you going to let us in on this?” Ellison inquired.

“I want you and Sandburg to go to the cabin. I’ll meet you there.” Simon crossed to his desk and retrieved an envelope and gave it to Ellison.

Blair looked around his shoulder to read the contents - a single sheet of paper.

“Jesus, Simon, you really pulled some strings.”

“She’s going to love this,” Sandburg chimed in.

“I hope so, Sandburg. I hope so. I’m taking her to dinner and showing her there.”

“You really like her, don’t you?” The anthropologist observed.

“Sandburg, just because I’m taking her to dinner doesn’t mean I like her.”

“He’s taking her to Carlo’s,” Joel stated sticking his head in the door.

Sandburg and Ellison’s eyebrows went up in unison.

The sentinel’s attention was drawn to the elevator when a familiar heartbeat exited the car.

“Please,” before Simon could finish he followed his detective’s sight, which came to rest on the young slender woman, stepped off the elevator.

She was wearing a short black dress with pearls, black nylons and high-heeled shoes with a matching purse. Over her arm she was carrying her bulky casual coat. Her hair was gently swept away from her face on one side. The hair on the other side helped hide some of the bruising still visible under her make up.

Everyone was looking now as she entered the bullpen.

“There’s my date,” Simon said smugly as he reached for his coat.

“Damn,” was all Jim could say as he exited the captain's office. He watched as Andrea approached the gawking men.

“Is something showing?” She looked down nervously.

“No,” Joel smiled. “You look terrific.”

“Thanks. It’s not too much is it? You said fancy.” She gave them a slow turn.

“No.” Joel and Jim said in unison enjoying the view.

“Do you always carry around drop dead clothes when you go camping?” Sandburg questioned.

Her smile faded. “No. I thought Dave...my fiancée would take me..." She stopped the thought, smiled sadly and simply said “No. Not usually. She saw Sandburg's reaction to the hurt in her voice and tried to lighten things up. "As you can tell from my very attractive outer wear.” She indicated her casual coat. “I didn’t even think to bring a nice coat. Not that I have one. You don’t need one very often in Florida.”

Simon exited his office stuffing the envelope in his coat pocket.

***

They sat in a secluded corner near the dance floor. They were just finishing up a wonderful dinner. He poured the last of the champagne into her glass.

“Captain, please I’m driving. Remember?”

“Well, maybe not.” He reached into his coat and pulled out the envelope and handed it to her.

“What’s this?”

“Open it.” He nodded to the envelope.

She opened it and instantly recognized the letterhead from where she worked. Her mouth dropped open when she read that her vacation had been extended another week, **with pay**. It was signed by the president of the company. She looked up with tears welling in her eyes.

“How?”

“Our Mayor talked to your Mayor and your Mayor talked to the president of your company and then he talked to your boss and well,” Simon explained, shrugging it off.

"Thank you." She said, trying to stop the tears. “This was very nice.”

Trying anything, so she wouldn't start crying he asked, “would you like to dance?”

She started to say no, then thought of all the work he had done trying to make it up to her. “Yes, that would be nice.”

They danced awkwardly at first. She moved a little closer and rested her head on his chest. The world stopped for the captain. He tightened his hold on her and found she fit perfectly in his arms. Simon let himself get lost in the music.

After several songs, the music stopped. She raised her head and whispered, “thank you.” Simon smiled and led her back to the table.

“More champagne?”

“No thank you, I’m driving.” She stated politely.

“What do you mean driving?”

“It was very nice, but all my reservations were for this week not next week. I’ll take my time on the way back and if I find a place with a vacancy, I’ll stay there.”

He smiled knowingly. His plan would work completely. He signaled for the check.

***

Simon got in the driver’s seat of her RV.

“You’re driving Bessie? I don’t think so.”

“Andy you look awfully tired. Why don’t you relax and I’ll drive back to the station. It’s the least I can do.” He turned on puppy dog eyes. Sandburg would have been proud. "Besides how much champagne did you have?"

“Hey that was your fault!" She smiled at the teasing officer. "Oh, all right," slipping out of her shoes and reclining in the passenger chair. “I am kind of tired,” she yawned.

About an hour later she awoke from her nap and gazed out the window.

“This isn’t the way back to the station. Is it?” Andy questioned.

“Well.”

“Well what?”

“Well, we’re here.”

“Where’s here?” She questioned getting a little nervous. She tried to calm herself by remembering that this was a police captain.

“My place.”

“Your place!” He was still a guy. A big guy. A police captain?

“Yes, my place. It’s my cabin. I use it for my vacations and the odd weekend. You can stay out here in your RV if you’re nervous. But come in for a cup of coffee or a glass of wine. Please?”

“It’s the least you can do.” She stated sarcastically, calming a bit.

“Yes.” He smiled at her joke.

“A hot cup of coffee sounds nice." As she peaked out at the cabin before her. "Does it have a fireplace?” She slipped on her shoes. “Your state is awfully cold.”

“You’re starting to sound like Sandburg.”

“I’m assuming that’s bad.” She laughed.

***

Simon knocked on the door.

“Who else is here?” Andy looked around and noticed a car off to the side of the building.

“Ellison and Sandburg.”

He opened the door.

“They’re here too?”

“I didn’t want to frighten you by bringing you here by yourself so I invited them. We were coming up here for some fishing when Jim got ambushed and all this started. So I figured it would be a nice way to finish.”

“That was sweet.”

“He is sweet.” Blair chimed in.

“Yup. That’s our Captain. Sweet.” Ellison added sarcastically.

“Cut it out you guys. You said you wanted some coffee?” He took her coat and hung it by the door.

“Yes. Thank you, Captain.”

“This is a nice place.” On her left was a huge fireplace with a long couch and two chairs. A fire was blazing. Off to her right was the kitchen and beyond that was a row of windows that were black now with the night. Along the back was a hallway that presumably led to the bedrooms. The room was pretty sparse, but for a hunting lodge it was right out of a magazine. She became drowsy with the coziness of the room and the roaring fire. She headed over to the couch and plopped down. The guys were quizzing Simon on how dinner went while they pretended to get the coffee.

When Simon turned around to ask her how she liked her coffee. He found her fast asleep curled up on the couch with her head on the armrest.

“Well, I guess she’s not too afraid of us,” the captain smiled.

Blair went to the closet and got a blanket out and covered the sleeping form.

Banks kept refusing to talk about his date and they soon gave up and went to bed with the captain following close behind.

***

Several hours later, a woman's screaming woke Simon out of a sound sleep. He dashed out of his room grabbing his robe as he went. His room was the closest to the living room so he made it to her side first.

Simon held her that night.

She woke up resting on the captain’s chest. Andy slipped out of the captain’s embrace and off the couch. Through the windows was a magnificent view. She quietly opened the side door and slipped outside. The Florida girl was overcome with the view of the mountains spread out before her. She sat on the step and just watched.

Simon came out bringing a blanket and wrapped them both in it.

“It’s beautiful, Captain. Simply breath taking.”

They sat there for a long time. Andy letting Simon put his arm around her to keep the blanket around her shoulders. His legs started getting cold with only his robe on and he had to decide which he needed most, pants or the woman in his arms. The cold finally won.

“I need to get some cloths on. I’ll be right back.” He rose and pulled the blanket around her.

“Thank you, Captain.”

“I slept with you last night, the least you can do is call me Simon.”

She blushed at the inference. “All right Simon, then it’s Andy not Miss Cartwright.”

Banks nodded and passed Blair on his way out with two cups of coffee.

“Andy?”

She looked up and took the coffee. “Thanks.” She turned back to the view.

“Andy. I’m sorry about the other day.”

“It’s okay. You were upset.”

“No. Please. Let me finish.”

She heard the pain in his voice and turned to look up at him. She patted the empty step beside her and he sat down.

“It was more that being upset, that made me scream at you...”

Andy touched his knee to prompt him to continue.

“I’m Jim’s partner. I should have been there. I’m his back up. I should have been the one to take care of him. To be there for him.”

She saw the guilt in the young man’s eyes, in his voice, and understood where the rage had come from. She smiled with understanding and gathered him in the blanket.

Knowing a hug was not going to make everything right she finally spoke. “Don’t worry about it. Your job as his partner is secure. I had a taste of the job and you can have it.” She smiled at him.

“Thanks, Andy. I’m really sorry.”

She gave him a peck on the cheek. “Apology accepted. How 'bout we make breakfast?”

“Sounds great.”

***

After breakfast Andy joined the guys down at the stream, that flowed a couple of yards beside the cabin. Simon had quickly taught her fly fishing, and let her borrow one of his spare reels. Because she didn’t have hip waders she fished quietly from the bank.

Simon kept watching her. She was so quiet and fishing so gracefully. In the past whenever he brought a woman up to the cabin for fishing she quickly tired of it and started to complain. Andy looked totally at peace. She would cast her line out, take a few moments to look at the surrounding area. Then cast the line out again, her rhythm was broken only by the catching of a fish. She would silently reel it in and drop it into the borrowed bucket. Simon smiled. He remembered the way Joan had squealed when she had to touch a wriggling fish.

Around noon they called it a day and started to compare catches, and of coarse the newbie to fly fishing had the most with one of the biggest Simon had every seen come out of the water.

Simon was surprised again when she dug right in and helped clean the fish. She absently tossed the waste to the ground. When the guys stopped what they were doing, she looked up. “What?”

Ellison asked. “Are you trying to get every bear in the area to stop by?”

Frightened by the word bear she quickly went over and pick up the discarded fish. “No. No. No bears please.”

“What were you thinking?” Sandburg asked a little confused by her actions.

“Sorry the sea gulls and pelicans usually take care of the waste. I wasn’t thinking. I’m sorry. Do you think I should hose it down so the bears don’t come.” Looking at the men a little unnerved about the thought of bears.

“No it will be all right. As long as we seal up the waste they won’t smell it.” The captain assured the small woman with a gentle smile.

She nodded, not quite convinced.

“Hurry up. I’m hungry.” Blair stated rinsing off his hands and heading for the cabin.

After lunch and much teasing about sizes of catches and other assorted fish stories, Simon asked Andy to go for a walk with him. He had to do some quick convincing, telling her that there were very few bears in the area and that he had his gun for protection. She finally agreed to go, while Sandburg grabbed his laptop and Ellison grabbed his fishing gear.

During their walk in the woods, Simon slipped his hand into hers and was delighted when she didn’t pull away. They walked for hours, hand in hand, talking about everything and anything with the comforting ease.

When they got back to the cabin, Simon started a fire, while Andy made a pot of coffee. Andy watched Simon go into a near by closet and pull out a funny looking blue rug. As he spread it out in front of the fireplace she realized it was an imitation bear skin rug.

"That's the only kind of bears I like." She stated as she brought two steaming mugs to the living room. "But blue?"

"What can I say? I've had it for years and when I bought the cabin it seamed perfect." Simon smiled at her.

He met her as she entered the living room, took the two mugs out of her hands and put them on the coffee table. She was a little confused until he gently pulled her into his arms. He closed his eyes and started to rock back and forth as if dancing to music only he could hear. She smiled up at him when she realized he was dancing with her. She rested her head on his shoulder, slipped her arms around his waist and closed her eyes so she too could hear the music.

He slowly moved his hand to her face and slid a finger under her chin to lift her head. When their eyes met he bent down and kissed her gently, and the world stopped for the young woman.

When their first kiss sadly ended, he drew her down to the blue rug and back into his arms. Simon's warm lips again pressed firmly, but gently to her smaller ones. He let his tongue brush her lips, silently asking permission.

She parted her lips for the gentle giant, anticipating his tongue’s next move. She didn’t have long to wait as it first teased her lips then searched out and found its captive. When they finally broke for air, her arms went around his neck and he brought their bodies together for another sweet kiss. He reluctantly broke the kiss but quickly started nibbling on her neck.

“It would be so much easier if you lived on this coast,” he mumbled into her neck as his tongue searched for the next sweet bit of flesh.

The simple statement brought her back to reality. She was on vacation. She lived hundreds of miles from this place. From this man. From this man that she was falling hard for. Realizing that this could turn into another 'Dave' situation. “Simon. Simon. She pushed him away. "Please, Simon.” She moved away from his warm embrace and the blue bear skin rug. “I can’t Simon. I can’t.”

“It’s because I’m black isn’t it.”

She couldn’t fight over this, she couldn't fight anymore. She was suddenly tired, so very tired. She slowly rose from the floor and crossed to the door. She looked back at the angry captain, with tears in her eyes. “I’m sorry,” she turned and left the cabin.

Andy saw Jim and Blair coming back up the hill with a large string of fish. She wiped her eyes and opened Bessie’s side door, throwing her coat inside.

When they reached her she announced, “I’m leaving.”

“Why?” Jim and Blair asked in unison.

“This won’t work.” Her tears were back. She went to Blair and held out her arms for a good bye hug. He put his laptop down and embraced her.

"Andy?" Before he could say more she moved to the sentinel.

As Jim rubbed her back, he begged her. “Please come inside and let’s talk about it.”

Shaking her head, she could only say, “tell Simon it’s not the difference in our color, it’s the difference between our coasts. I couldn’t overcome it with Dave.” Andy kissed him on the cheek, turned and left.

The End

03/04/00


End file.
